The Illegitimate Who Devours Weapons

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]

Chapter 12

A woman walked across the floor of the private training ground reserved for the direct lineage.

Her neatly pinned-up hair, pale skin, sharply defined nose, and long eyelashes gave her an ageless beauty.

But beneath those lashes, her emotionless eyes carried a chilling impression.

Her name was Baek Hwayeon.

Once, she was a warrior renowned by the title Ice Sword, and now, she was the esteemed mistress of the Esteemeed Martial Lee Clan.

“Madam, you’ve arrived.”

The Nanny of the eighth child cautiously lowered her head as she approached.

“Step aside. I need to speak with my daughter.”

At Baek Hwayeon’s gesture, her attendants and the nanny retreated to wait at the entrance of the training ground.

She strode toward the center of the arena.

“Huff… Huff…”

There, drenched in sweat, swinging a sword with all her might, was her youngest daughter.

After observing for a while, the girl finally seemed to notice her presence, her body flinching.

“Ah… Mother?”

“What are you doing?”

“I greet you, Mother.”

“I asked, what are you doing?”

“I… I was training.”

“And where is your sword instructor?”

“The lesson ended. I was reviewing on my own…”

Baek Hwayeon gazed at her daughter in silence.

She had never been one to avoid training, but she wasn’t the most diligent either.

Yet today, for some reason, she was still here, practicing even as dusk settled in.

There was only one conclusion—she was trying to appear busy to avoid being reprimanded.

How pathetic.

“I heard what happened. You were overpowered, weren’t you?”

“……!”

Hwa’s eyes trembled.

“I told you, didn’t I? If you can’t handle something, break them.”

Her tone wasn’t angry, nor was it irritated. It was eerily flat.

As if she felt nothing at all, Baek Hwayeon stared at her daughter with cold, piercing eyes.

Seeing the girl frozen in tension, unable to respond, her gaze only grew frostier.

She knew her daughter had a soft heart.

That might be a virtue elsewhere, but not in Esteemeed Martial Lee Clan.

A Clan built on steel and blood. And her youngest daughter was a direct heir of that lineage.

Such half-hearted resolve was worse than having none at all.

‘Had she at least talked back or shown defiance, it would have been better.’

Watching her daughter lower her head, fists clenched tightly, Baek Hwayeon felt the urge to sigh.

“How disappointing. If you’re only training to avoid punishment, then stop. I don’t even intend to scold you anymore.”

At those words, Hwa, still looking down, murmured in a suppressed voice.

“…I’ll handle it myself.”

Baek Hwayeon’s steps halted.

“What did you say?”

---

Hwa's body was still tense, but her eyes gleamed with determination.

"I understand what you must be thinking after watching me train, but I'm doing this because I want to."

Baek Hwayeon's brows slowly furrowed.

"I'm… I'm going to defeat him properly. But not because he's a bastard, and not because you told me to. I'm doing this because I want to. So, I'll handle it my own way."

Baek Hwayeon stared at Hwa, her gaze piercing.

There was a hint of stubbornness in her daughter's voice.

She was still far from adequate, but at least those eyes weren’t as pathetically lifeless as before.

"If you want to prove you're not inferior to a bastard, you’ll have to put in the effort. That's obvious. And yet, you're failing at something so obvious."

Baek Hwayeon's sharp words made Lee Hwa flinch.

But she didn’t stop speaking.

"That doesn't matter. I won’t concern myself with what the Clan thinks anymore. I want to grow stronger because I—because I WANT TO."

Baek Hwayeon's expression turned even colder.

"So, you've let yourself be inspired by that rootless illegitimate brat?"

"T-That’s not…"

Hwa wanted to refute it with confidence, but as she met her mother’s gaze, she couldn’t bring herself to say the words.

"You are the heir of the Esteemeed Martial Lee Clan. You and that boy were never equals to begin with. You were born into privilege, receiving countless gifts, while he is nothing more than a bastard who happened to be born with a rare talent. Defeating him should be a given, yet here you are, letting yourself be inspired?"

For the first time, there was a flicker of anger in Baek Hwayeon’s otherwise cold expression.

She looked down at Hwa and pulled a small glass vial from her sleeve.

"Take it."

"Huh? What… is this?"

A sense of unease crept over Hwa.

With trembling hands, she carefully took the vial and looked up at Baek Hwayeon with wary eyes.

Then, in a slow and measured tone, Baek Hwayeon revealed its contents.

"It is called Dream-like Trance”

Her gaze lingered on the colorless, transparent liquid swaying inside the bottle as she continued.

"It is a deadly poison."

For a moment, Hwa thought she had misheard.

"It is a rare treasure, found only in the floating dungeons of the world. Its usage is highly restricted—it only works on children under fifteen, and it evaporates if exposed to air for more than five minutes."

"M-Mother…"

Hwa's hands trembled violently as she held the vial.

No matter how her daughter reacted, Baek Hwayeon spoke without hesitation.

"A child who comes into contact with Dream like trance will suffer permanent damage to their mana pathways. It seeps into the body, spreading slowly over time, leaving no trace."

"Mother… W-Why are you giving this to me?"

Even as Hwa reeled in shock, Baek Hwayeon remained indifferent, delivering her final words.

"If you cannot surpass him, then crush him. That is the way of Esteemeed Martial Lee Clan."

With that, Baek Hwayeon turned and walked away.

Hwa stood frozen, watching her mother’s retreating figure with a hollow expression.

* * *

The Stages of Magic Arts

The progression of mana arts follows these stages:

The first stage involves harboring mana within the body and using it to enhance one's physical abilities. This is known as the Iron Body realm.

The second stage allows for the transformation of mana’s properties, enabling a variety of applications. This is referred to as the Realm of Qi Manipulation.

The third stage grants the user superhuman abilities through mana—such as running across water, reinforcing weapons, or concealing one’s presence. This is known as the Realm of Qi Energy.

Typically, those with talent reach the second stage around the age of fifteen. Those without talent usually reach it before adulthood.

"…Or so I’ve heard."

"Our Clan is full of strange people who reach that stage ridiculously early. I entered it when I was twelve, so it’s not that big of a deal. Let’s just get started!"

Hearing my aunt dismiss common sense so casually, I let out a dry laugh.

"Aunt, I don’t think you realize this, but I’m still only ten years old."

"Of course I know that. You’re the weird one."

Somehow, I had become the odd one here.

"That’s not what I meant. I’m saying I’m only ten. I just reached the first stage not long ago, and you’re already talking about the next one?"

"But you’re a genius. Obviously, you can do it."

A genius, huh?

The truth was, I only appeared advanced because of my regression. I was simply more mature and had learned to wield mana a little earlier than others.

"Besides, the second star of the mana arts I created isn’t the same as the world’s conventional second stage."

"Ah, I knew it. So then, does your first star…?"

"It’s probably somewhere between the second and third stages, I’d say."

"…"

"It’s like going from learning calculus straight into fluid dynamics—there’s not that big of a gap."

I had no idea what she was talking about.

I was past confusion—I was starting to worry.

Even though the third stage wasn’t some mythical realm, it still required years of effort. What she was suggesting was an outright leap.

"Besides, think about the first star you achieved. Do you really think it’s the same as the standard first stage?"

"I know it’s different."

The new mana art my aunt was teaching me was so new it didn’t even have a proper name, it started with controlling mana at its core.

It was obviously too different to be considered the same as conventional first-stage techniques.

"Tell me, what do you think you’re best at?"

Out of nowhere, my aunt threw that question at me.

Something I was best at…

It was probably the sword.

I had wielded countless weapons in my past life, but the sword was the easiest to carry and the one I had trained with the longest.

So, with confidence, I answered, "The sword."

To which my aunt immediately responded:

"I don’t think so. You don’t seem all that talented with the sword."

Her words hit me so hard I almost snapped.

"You’ve never seen me train in swordsmanship, have you, Aunt?"

"I have, though? I watched you train by yourself a few times when I was bored…"

My relationship with my aunt was more of a partnership than a teacher-student dynamic.

Her goal was to perfect the mana arts she had developed by refining them through me.

That’s why she never interfered with anything beyond mana arts.

"What I’m saying is… It’s not that you lack talent. You’re incredible, really. It’s just that, compared to your other talents, your swordsmanship isn’t what stands out the most."

"Then why did you bring this up so suddenly?"

"Because your greatest talent is mana arts aka magic."

"…What?"

"Your talent for mana arts is extraordinary. So much so that everything else pales in comparison."

Her eyes practically sparkled as she said it.

"I’ve never seen anyone like you. I’ve had other people try my mana arts, but no one else could do it."

She ruffled my hair as she spoke.

I felt… bewildered.

Maybe it was because of my past life’s influence, or perhaps because I had never been formally taught by anyone, but I had never considered myself especially gifted in handling mana.

"The mana arts I created are inherently more versatile than conventional techniques. Someone at the same stage as us would have a much more limited range of abilities. But we can do more because we utilize mana path circuits differently. That’s why I divided it into stars, rather than using conventional stages."

Her explanation made sense.

In typical mana arts, the first stage only allowed for mana accumulation and basic physical enhancement.

But I was already capable of second-stage mana control.

Just as my aunt had said—what I had achieved wasn’t simply the first stage. It was the first star.

"What we’re learning is an entirely new technique—one that’s never existed before. Forget the common classifications and conventions. Now, I’ll teach you a proper technique, so focus!"

"Yes, I understand."

I nodded.

That was enough complaining.

I sharpened my focus, making sure I wouldn’t miss a single word of what she was about to teach me.

"From the second star onward, you’ll need to learn proper techniques—like amplification arts or concealment techniques. Let’s start with the one we reconstructed."

"You mean Amplification Arts?"

A fragment of an ancient mana technique—something my aunt hadn’t been able to replicate herself.

It was a technique she had derived from the remnants of an art I had deciphered due to Boundless.

"But I already know how to do that."

"Yeah, but you can’t just stop there. Don’t limit it to your internal mana flow—try expelling it outward. In other words, you need to practice mana release."

"But isn’t mana release a third-stage technique? Is that even possible at this level?"

"The reason it’s a third-stage ability is because controlling external mana is incredibly difficult. But we have a far more precise control thanks to our mana paths. Give it a shot. That’s what it means to reach the second star."

"Understood."

I gave a short nod and closed my eyes, focusing inward.

I began to vibrate the mana stored within my mana core.

That vibration was maintained by the mana path circuits, slowly circulating through my body.

‘Through the arms, shoulders, heart, and down to the dantian.’

Each part of the mana circuit had a different function.

As my mana brushed against the circuits, the vibration intensified.

At the same time, a mist-like mana began to seep out of my body.

“It probably won’t work well at first. It took me a whole month just to stop it from leaking outside.”

Sweat trickled down my forehead. I focused even harder.

Then, the mana that had been dissipating outside suddenly began to gather in my palm with a clear sense of direction.

And at that moment—

BOOM!

A deafening sound, like the tearing of a leather drum, rang out as the forming mana burst apart.

The mana pushed against the air, creating a gust of wind that sent both mine and my aunt’s training robes fluttering.

“Wh-what the hell?”

For the first time, my aunt swore in front of me.

‘That was… easier than I expected?’

Since I had never actively tried to release my mana outward before, this was essentially my first attempt at emission.

It still felt a little rough, but once I got the hang of it, I was sure it would be easy.

“You—you can’t just pull that off on the first try!”

“Is there… a problem?”

I flinched in concern.

After all, a mistake in mana manipulation could easily lead to internal injuries.

“No, no problem at all. The issue is that you did too well!”

My aunt threw her hands up in triumph.

[Pr/N: Absolute Cinema]

“From now on, you need to use mana while moving. A still mana technique is a dead mana technique. Are you ready?”

That was exactly what I had been waiting for. Training with my aunt had always been on the static side, and I was itching to move.

“Alright then, let’s get started!”

With that, she turned to the massive wooden barrel beside her and gave it a few resounding pats.

“…Come to think of it, what is that?”

“Oh? Just some iron balls.”

A bad feeling crept over me.

“And why exactly… did you bring those?”

“Huh? To throw them at you, of course! You need to dodge while controlling your mana! We’re starting now!”

I had no time to prepare.

Before I could even get up properly, my aunt started hurling iron balls at me with terrifying speed.

* * *

Time flew by like an arrow.

Training with my aunt, group education, and personal training—every moment had been packed so full that I hardly noticed the passing of time.

Still, since I was at an age where growth was crucial, I made sure to strictly maintain my rest and sleep schedule.

I even deliberately increased my food intake.

By the time there were about two months left until the Naming Ceremony, the regular group education curriculum had come to an end.

From that day on, the instructors who had been leading the group training sessions stopped participating.

And in their place, The Squad leader, Lee joongkwan, who had only given minor instructions up until now, stepped forward to stand before us.

A pillar of the Lee Clan’s elite warrior squads, the Blood Tiger Squad, he had now taken direct charge of our training.

“From this moment on, I will instruct you in the vision of the Esteemed martial Lee Clan.”

With a stern expression, Lee Joongkwan addressed me and Lee Hwa.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Lucky]